 |
Lean Manufacturing is derived from the Toyota
Production System and is an operational strategy oriented towards
achieving the shortest possible cycle time through the elimination of
waste. The key thrust of lean is to identify those activities that add
value to the end customer and those that consume resources and create
no value. The elimination of this wasted time and effort can bring about
dramatic improvement and substantial benefits to both customer and organisation.
Lean thinking begins with a Value
Stream Map and utilises a miscellany of tools including Hoshin
Kanri, Five S's, Poka
Yoke and Kaizen to drive improvement.
What
is Lean Thinking?
An easy introduction to Lean thinking provided by the Cardiff Business
School Lean Enterprise Research Centre...
The Step by Step Guide to Lean Business
LEAN! So much talk but just how much understanding of how? There is
clearly confusion between Lean, Agile, 6 Sigma, TQM, etc. But what falls
under the Lean umbrella and how do you get there? And how do we avoid
initiative overload?
Oliver Wight Associate Les
Brookes
Lean thinking: smarter ways to better business
Late in 2003 Manufacturing Computer Solutions gathered
25 senior manufacturing business managers (managing directors, operations
directors, production managers, IT directors and lean champions from across
industry), some software vendors and a heavyweight bunch of lean experts
round a table for our eighth MCS forum. We charged all present with the
task of coming to some conclusions to help everyone minded to go lean
to do so most productively, aware of the implications both in terms of
expectations and preconditions at every level. We wanted advice, observations
and opinion to be freely shared for the benefit of all. And it was. Brian
Tinham reports from the latest MCS Forum on how to do it right...
Brian Tinham
Manufacturing Computer Solutions
How to ensure your IT adds value
Techniques that have grown up with the lean manufacturing agenda also
have much to offer in terms of prioritising your manufacturing business
IT investment. Brian Tinham explains how...
Brian Tinham Manufacturing
Computer Solutions
Lean
Case Studies and Articles
A variety of lean case studies and articles provided by Simpler Consulting
including the interesting: U.S. Army Embraces Lean Manufacturing and Organizing
for Lean by George Koenigsaecker...
| Further reading |
|
The Machine
That Changed the World: The Story of Lean Production
James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, Daniel Roos |
Japanese
companies are sweeping the world, and the Japanese auto industry
soars above the competition. Drawing on their in-depth study of
the practices of ninety auto assembly plants in seventeen countries
and their interviews with individual employees, scholars, and union
and government officials, the authors of this compelling study uncover
the specific manufacturing techniques behind Japan's success and
show how Western industry can implement these innovative methods.
The Machine That Changed the World tells the fascinating story of
"lean production," a manufacturing system that results
in a better, more cost-efficient product, higher productivity, and
greater customer loyalty. The hallmarks of lean production are teamwork,
communication, and efficient use of resources. And the results are
remarkable: cars with one-third the defects, built in half the factory
space, using half the man-hours. The Machine That Changed the World
explains in concrete terms what lean production is, how it really
works, and--as it inevitably spreads beyond the auto industry--its
significant global impact.
Now ten years old The Machine That Changed the World first coined
the phrase "lean production" and was the catalyst of lean
thinking outside of Japan.
|
| Buy
UK |
Buy
US |
|
The Lean Toolbox
John Bicheno |
|
The Lean
Toolbox is the essential quick reference guide to the concepts and
techniques of lean operations and the lean enterprise. This second
edition incorporates new and updated sections. Introduced by Dan Jones,
co-author of Lean Thinking the book includes sections on lean philosophy
and waste, planning, design, mapping, improvement, production, the
Goldratt principles, quality, suppliers, people and measurement.
|
| Buy
UK |
Buy
US |
|
Lean Thinking:
Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation
James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones |
|
Following on from their book, The Machine that Changed the World,
Womack and Jones have developed their ideas further with Lean Thinking.
This book is aimed at any manager interested in sustaining growth
within their industry. They define "lean thinking" as
the elimination of unnecessary waste in business, and by outlining
the principles and applications of this they link their theories
to value for the customer.
Womack and Jones demonstrate the effectiveness
of their approach through their research in both the U.S. and Europe.
Citing examples from both simple and complex manufacturing processes,
and from traditional technologies to high-tech companies, they show
how their theories have been put into action.
|
| Buy
UK |
Buy
US |
|
Learning to
See: Value Stream Mapping to Add Value and Eliminate Muda
Mike Rother and John Shook |
|
Senior
experts within the Toyota Production System often draw maps when
on the shop floor. These maps show the current physical flow of
a product family and the information flow for that product family
as they wind through a complex facility making many products. Much
more important, these simple maps - often drawn on a scrap of paper
- show where steps can be eliminated, flows smoothed, and pull systems
introduced in order to create a truly lean value stream for each
product family.
Learning to see is Value Stream mapping for the uninitiated. Written
in plain language and with detailed drawings. It's easy to follow,
no nonsense approach provides clear instruction for defining the
value stream, a fundamental step on the lean journey.
|
| Buy
UK |
Buy
US |
|
Cause and Effect
Lean: Lean Operations, Six Sigma and Supply Chain Essentials
by John Bicheno |
|
| Cause
and Effect Lean is a complete re-write of "Cause and Effect
JIT: The Essentials of Lean Manufacturing" (Second Edition).
It uses Cause and Effect (Fishbone) diagrams to give a concise overview
of three core areas of manufacturing. It is not intended to be a
complete reference book on Lean, but rather a quick reference guide.
|
| Buy
UK |
Buy
US |
|
Browse
more Lean books
Links
Shingo Prize
Masaaki Imai has referred to the Shingo Prize as the only existing award
program that is focused on muda (waste) and Lean manufacturing practices.
Business Week referred to the program as the “Nobel prize of manufacturing,”
establishing a standard for world class excellence for which we strive...
American Shingijutsu
Link to a vast lean manufacturing and Kaizen resource with some excellent
graphic examples...
Lean Enterprise Institute
A non-profit training, publishing and research center founded by Jim Womack
to give people simple but powerful tools that describe in plain language
how to apply lean thinking. Plenty of lean articles in Thinkers Corner.
Free registration for access to more...
The Association for Manufacturing
Excellence
A not-for-profit organization/Association of 6000 executives, senior
and middle managers wishing to improve their personal performance and
the competitiveness of their organizations through leading-edge topics...
The Association
for Manufacturing Excellence UK
AME-UK is the UK Chapter of the USA-based AME. The site has a lot of free
lean resources although annual membership which costs £100 will
give you access to events and training as well as a subscription to Target®,
the acclaimed quarterly AME journal which publishes in-depth case studies
and accounts from members who put lessons into practice...
Cardiff
Business School Lean Enterprise Research Centre (LERC)
LERC helps organisations achieve world class performance through the
application of lean thinking principles and techniques through a broad
range of education programmes and management courses, and through communicating
to the broader management population...
The Institute of Operations
Management
The Institute is the professional body for persons involved in Production
and Operations Management in manufacturing and service industries - Masses
of free lean articles in the Control Magazine section...
top of page |
 |
